


Etiquette and protocol / It's your lot in life

by Frenchmeister



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cock Rings, Crack Treated Seriously, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Constipation, Force Bond (Star Wars), M/M, Mild Domestic Violence, Mind Meld, Post-Canon, Praise Kink, Premature Ejaculation, Rey deserves better, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 18:28:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13254123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frenchmeister/pseuds/Frenchmeister
Summary: Rey accidentally tunes in on Kylo while he’s busy with Hux, leading to confusion on everyone’s end, especially Kylo's. He was never very good at multitasking.(Inspired by a multitude of Tumblr posts regarding awkward timing for Kylo and Rey’s impromptu forceskyping)





	Etiquette and protocol / It's your lot in life

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place two days after the events of TLJ. Hux and Kylo weren't prepared to track the Millennium Falcon through hyperspace, so they're taking a few days to regroup with the rest of the First Order fleet and lull the Resistance into a false sense of security before zeroing in on their new location and wiping them out.
> 
> Title taken from Nerf Herder's "I'm the Droid You're Looking For"

“You’re seven minutes late.”

 

Kylo winced; he hadn’t realized his hemming and hawing had cost him so much time. “I thought you might not want me to come by tonight.”

 

“Why not? We scheduled this meeting over a fortnight ago.”

 

“I know, I just thought maybe…”

 

“Maybe what?” Hux arched an impatient eyebrow and stepped forward as he crossed his arms, filling the doorway. He was in his robe. 

 

Hux’s body was radiating pleasant warmth from where it stood just inches away, and Kylo’s mouth went dry despite himself at the thought of what was underneath those pleats of silk (or what  _ wasn’t _ , in this case). “I— I don’t know. A lot has changed in the last few days.”

 

“Perhaps, but my  _ schedule  _ hasn’t. My shift rotations have stayed the same, and you now have the power to decide your own schedule,” Hux answered pointedly, shooting him a look. “We made plans that you never cancelled. I expected you to follow through on them.”

 

That was one thing about sex with Hux — it was never a spontaneous, passion-driven event. Their liaisons were planned well in advance and pencilled into their respective itineraries, then shifted around as needed as they received new orders. It wasn’t a  _ good  _ thing or a  _ bad  _ thing, just...a thing.

 

With a quiet huff, Hux finally turned and led Kylo inside.

 

“Look, about what happened on the bridge the other day…” Kylo started, anxiety gnawing at his stomach.

 

Hux’s hands stilled as they moved to untie the robe’s sash, his eyes slipping closed in frustration. “Don’t, Ren.” He shrugged off the robe, folding it and bending to set it down on his couch.

 

From this angle, the damage from being tossed about was unmistakable.

 

“I— I didn’t  _ mean  _ to hurt you, I just _ — _ ”

 

“Lost control.  _ As usual.  _ When I asked you to stop taking out your anger on the ship, that’s not exactly what I had in mind.” When all he got in response was a shameless case of puppy-dog eyes, he sighed and said, “I’ve received far worse beatings from far better lovers, Supreme Leader. I’m not that fragile.”

 

“I know. I...just wanted you to know that I regret it, that’s all,” Kylo murmured brushing his fingers over the sickly purple blotches on Hux’s ribcage. It looked worse than it actually was, he knew — Hux’s pasty skin bruised at the slightest hint of pressure. That didn’t excuse his behavior, though.

 

“I’m  _ fine _ , Ren, I assure you. Just...try to save that savage, animalistic passion for the bedroom in the future, Supreme Leader.” He smirked and grabbed Kylo’s hands to relocate them his hips, to place them on top of the yellowing bruises there. The bruises that were decidedly intentional and born out of pleasure and shared desire, not reckless violence.

 

The smile was insincere, though, Kylo could tell. It lacked the easy confidence of their usual interactions in the bedroom, looking stiff and more than a little forced. “Did...you want to continue meeting like this in the future, then?” Kylo asked, hesitantly. “I know you said you still wanted it tonight but...You can always say no, Hux, even if I’m Supreme Leader now.” He stepped back, giving Hux space. He had an obsession with punctuality and adherence to rules, but seeing as this was their last scheduled meeting...Hux might not actually be interested in seeing him anymore if there were no more appointments he felt obligated to fulfill.

 

Hux considered the question for a moment, arms falling limply to his sides. “...I’m not sure about the future yet,” he answered sourly, expression totally unreadable. “I don’t want to think about that right now. Take your clothes off.”

 

He stalked off to his bedroom, Kylo fumbling after him and hastily disrobing, blatantly drooling over Hux’s naked ass the whole way. Maybe if he stared at the lily-white skin long enough, the afterimage would be permanently burned into his retinas, staying with him long after Hux kicked him out of his chambers for good.

 

Clothes strewn across the hall and boots tossed into a corner of the room, Kylo sat down at the edge of the bed, waiting. He knew what was coming.

 

“Have you been practicing, Ren?”

 

Kylo shook his head, averting his eyes. “I’ve been too busy for that. I just get myself off as quick as possible most nights.”

 

“Tsk tsk. If you have time for  _ this _ , you have time to work on desensitizing yourself, surely,” Hux chided him, pulling out the lube and cock ring. “Let’s see how long you can last tonight, hmm? You did quite well last time.”

 

Kylo held his breath as Hux kneeled down and slipped the ring on him, already starting to get excited. Hux was the first person to actually  _ touch _ his bare skin since his teenage years, and it certainly showed in his rapid performance in the bedroom sometimes. Good thing Hux got off on taking control and testing his limits.

 

“Remember to ask permission first if you’re going to come this time, Ren.”

 

It was the only warning Kylo got before Hux’s mouth was on him, tongue flicking over his slit as Hux pulled back. “Oh!” Kylo yelped, feeling his face flush under the heat of Hux’s unrelenting gaze. So confident, so intense, so  _ predatory _ .

 

“Frak, that feels good.” It was too much. Even with the ring, Kylo could tell he was going to come way too soon, and he didn’t care to go out on such a bad note if this  _ was  _ their last rendezvous. With a regretful moan, he flopped back onto the bed, fingers clutching at Hux’s sheets wildly. A particularly loud slurp came from the general region of his crotch.

 

And then...silence. Uncomfortable, oppressive silence, all too familiar after the events of the last few days.

 

_ Oh no _ , Kylo thought desperately _ , not now, oh gods, no no no no… _

 

The Resistance’s new base was fairly modern, from what he could gather of the girl’s limited surroundings. He supposed he could be looking for clues to help identify it, but he was too busy trying to control his facial expressions and throw mental shields into place to preserve Hux’s dignity. Provided he did it right, Rey could see his face and nothing else this time.

 

He could explain it to Hux later, when the girl wouldn’t overhear their conversation, but for now...keeping everyone in the dark sounded like the best idea. It served as a distraction, at least. As long as he stayed occupied like this, he  _ probably  _ wouldn’t climax and blow his cover.

 

_ “Yours is the last face I wanted to see right now,”  _ Rey muttered. Her eyebrows were drawn, there were dark circles under her eyes...She hadn’t been sleeping well, clearly.

 

“Luke Skywalker is  _ dead. _ I felt the shift in the Force as he took his last feeble breath,” Kylo answered, correctly guessing whose face she _ did  _ want to see.

 

Distantly, he heard Hux’s mouth pull away, fingers pausing halfway through stroking his shaft. “...Yes, I heard. Not that I want to encourage your bragging, but if the effort of projecting himself into that fight caused his body to give up, then the argument could even be made that  _ you  _ killed him, Supreme Leader.”

 

_ “He’s not  _ **_dead_ ** _ , he became one with the Force. He’s not gone forever, Ben, but I think you already knew that. He already taught me more than enough, and I know what I need to do. This isn’t over.” _

 

Kylo made a peculiar huffing sound that he hoped passed for a derisive laugh as Hux began sucking at his frenulum. “We’re practically breathing down the back of the Resistance’s neck. In a matter of days, the whole of the First Order fleet will convene upon that base and grind out what little hope remains in the common people. The Resistance will be wiped out in a matter of days, and I’ll be Supreme Leader of the galaxy within weeks. This war is already finished.”

 

Hux pulled back entirely, sitting on his haunches as he mulled over Kylo’s seemingly impromptu soliloquy.  “Hmm. Perhaps it’s a bit premature, but you’re right. That’s certainly cause for celebration.”

 

Kylo, distracted as he was, barely had time to process that Hux was talking before the man was climbing up on the bed with him, straddling his hips.

 

One advantage to pre-planned sex? No need to waste time stretching anyone when they could take care of it themselves ahead of time.

 

Hux worked his way down Kylo’s cock, seating himself fully on Kylo’s thighs in almost no time at all.

 

_ “We’re not alone anymore. We have allies coming from all over  _ **_your_ ** _ territories, from within your very  _ **_ranks_ ** _ , risking everything to come join our cause. They just needed some time to prepare. Your own officers aren’t even loyal to your cause now that Snoke’s gone.” _

 

A bluff? An unpleasant, but not entirely surprising truth? Kylo couldn’t tell, his brain wholeheartedly more interested in what was going on in his lap than in his head. If it was true, though...He couldn’t risk it.

 

“You should reconsider your decision,” he stated, staring straight up at the ceiling to avoid ogling the rock hard dick flopping around right in front of him as Hux began riding him in earnest.

 

“Decision? What decision?”

 

Kylo ignored Hux, no longer hearing his words as he focused on convincing Rey. “You saw how well we worked together, like a well oiled machine. Just admit that your fate lies with me.”

 

“...Kylo?”

 

“We’re unparalleled equals, you and I. That fight was just a small taste of our compatibility, but just imagine if we led a new order together — we’d be unstoppable. Unrivaled in history. If we could learn to set aside our differences, the galaxy would be ours to make right again.”

 

“Oh gods, yes! Yes, Kylo!”

 

_ “Sorry, Ben, but I think those differences are irreconcilable at this point,” _ Rey said, a touch of melancholy in her voice now.  _ “I know how this is going to end, and it’s for the best, Ben. Honestly. I understand why Luke gave up hope on reestablishing the Jedi Order now.” _

 

Kylo tugged at his hair in frustration, screwing his eyes shut. “Because you’re not thinking far enough ahead! You’re still stuck on someone else’s mistakes! Skywalker was too full of himself to recognize his own flaws, to burn them out, to rebuild himself from their ashes! We can restore the balance in the Force again!”

 

“...What?”

 

_ “Ben. Didn’t you feel it when Luke passed, that...serenity? That’s what balance in the Force feels like. If you honestly can’t feel how unbalanced the dark is without the light...We can never see eye to eye on anything. It’s  _ **_impossible_ ** _.” _

 

“No!  _ Rey _ !” Kylo shouted, opening his eyes to glare at her. The connection was slowly beginning to fade, and he couldn’t afford to lose all chance of reconciliation with her, not until he knew whether she was bluffing about having Resistance-sympathizers within their ranks.

 

Above him, Hux stilled.  “...Who the pfassk is  _ Rey _ ?!”

 

“Huh? Oh, the scavenger from Jakku,” Kylo answered, unsure what was going on anymore. Rey looked confused, Hux sounded confused, he himself was overwhelmingly confused...mostly he just cared about the fact that Hux had stopped moving for some reason.

 

Out of nowhere, Hux’s bony knuckles collided with his cheek, the  **_smack_ ** of his unexpected backhanded slap so loud Rey even screamed a little as Kylo’s mental shields slipped.

 

“ _ Ow _ , what—”

 

“You’re  _ disgusting _ , you know that? An absolute  _ pig _ , Kylo Ren. I didn’t invite you here so you could fantasize about the enemy while I did all the work, and —  _ let me go! _ ” He struggled, fighting against the strong hold Kylo suddenly took on his hips.

 

“Wait, wait, don’t go! It’s not what you think! I was just  _ talking _ to her! The Force connected us against our will!”

 

_ “Ben? Who are you talking to?...What’s going on? You’re not—?” _

 

Kylo ignored her suspicious questioning, the mental link quieter than his surroundings now instead of vice versa. “Armitage...Please don’t go. I don’t want anyone else, I swear. I can explain everything if you’ll just stay.  _ Please _ .”

 

Hux’s dick twitched at the use of his first name and his eyes glazed over with renewed lust as Kylo begged, which he took as a good sign. He released Hux’s hips and leaned in to kiss him, something the two of them  _ rarely  _ allowed during their trysts, trying to convey his sincerity and desperation through the action. “Please, Hux.”

 

_ “Nooo...please tell me you’re not…” _

 

When Hux didn’t leave but instead chose to remain impaled on his dick, Kylo felt bold enough to deepen the kiss, one hand creeping down to jerk Hux’s cock back to full hardness. The other began playing with Hux’s nipple.

 

_ “You are. Oh gods, no wonder you were so sweaty. Isn’t there a way to make this stop?!” _

 

Belatedly, Kylo realized that he’d lost his shields altogether when Hux had reciprocated his kiss by nipping at his lip and slipping his tongue inside. Honestly, he’d forgotten all about her presence.

 

“Um, I don’t think there is, actually.” The connection was stronger than normal today, refusing to fade away entirely. “I think we just have to ride it out.”

 

_ “...Please don’t use that phrase right now, Ben. Ugh.”  _ She had both hands over her eyes like a scared child.

 

“Oh, is she still there? How much can she see?” Hux asked.

 

“She can see everything I do right now. I got distracted and failed to hold my shields, but I can—”

 

“No need,” Hux cut him off with a wicked grin. “Let’s give her a show, shall we? I  _ thought  _ you seemed distracted, and I simply won’t stand for that. When you’re in my quarters, you give me your  _ full  _ attention until I say so, understand?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Kylo mumbled, cheeks burning. It was bad enough to be chastised like this, but for the girl to see, too? He let out a sigh of relief as Hux lifted off just long enough to remove Kylo’s cock ring, slipping the stretchy band over his balls and down his shaft.

 

“There, you’re free, although you still don’t have my permission to come yet.”

 

“Thank you, sir, thank you!” Kylo cried out as Hux started bouncing on his dick again. He was pumping himself furiously with one hand, rolling and tugging at his balls with the other, and already his breath was hitching.

 

Kylo was almost scared to watch, dangerously close to his own orgasm now that the ring was removed. He made himself useful by putting his hands back on Hux’s hips for support instead.

 

“Come here,” Hux growled, slipping off his dick and grabbing a fistful of black curls, forcing Kylo to crane his neck uncomfortably. Hux shuffled forward on his knees, his cock now looming directly in front of his face as Hux resumed his stroking.

 

“Yes,  _ yes,  _ please, sir!” Kylo moaned, stretching his tongue out to lap at the precome beading up at Hux’s slit. “Please, Armitage! I  _ need  _ you!”

 

And with a sharp intake of breath, Hux was climaxing, hips pumping as he anointed Kylo’s face and chest with his come.

 

Kylo’s dick wasn’t even being touched anymore, yet he could feel himself hurtling closer to the edge with each hot, wet stripe that landed on his skin. “Oh, oh gods, Hux  _ please  _ I’m gonna come I’m gonna—”

 

Hux swiped a hand through his own mess for makeshift lubrication, then reached behind him to blindly jerk Kylo off. “Well, go on then.”

 

Kylo didn’t need any more encouragement than that. With a pathetic shout, he shuddered and came all over Hux’s hand, strategically placed to avoid any errant splashes on his backside.

 

By the time he caught his breath again, the connection was closed. He had absolutely no idea how much Rey had seen.

 

“Argh, get off me,” Kylo mumbled, shoving Hux off his chest. “It’s dripping into my eyes!” One eye shut tight to keep it safe from harm (he’d learned on their second encounter just how badly semen burned when it got into your eyes, and he did  _ not  _ want a repeat), he stumbled into Hux’s fresher, turning on the sonic shower.

 

Hux came in shortly after to wash his hands and towel himself off, and by the time Kylo was done, he was lying on the bed again, a peculiarly downcast expression on his face.

 

“Everything you were saying about joining forces...You were talking to the girl, weren’t you?”

 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Not that I’d ever  _ actually _ let her rule by my side as an equal, but I’ve seen how strongly the dark calls to her. Things would be so much easier if she’d just give in…”

 

Kylo joined Hux on the bed, not caring if the man would rather he leave once they finished their business. He was weary from trying to keep himself concealed for so long, not to mention the physical exhaustion from trying to ignore his body’s responses. He deserved to rest for a while, too, dammit.

 

“I guess I owe you an explanation, though.”

 

“That would be appreciated, yes,” Hux replied curtly.

 

“She’s strong in the Force, and sometimes people like that can spontaneously form a bond with another Force user.”

 

“A bond.”

 

“Like...a link between their minds,” Kylo clarified, struggling to explain such a foreign concept to someone with no Force sensitivity. “If you want, you can sense where the other person is, talk to them...This doesn’t feel like a bond, exactly, but it’s something similar, like the Force is choosing to link us up on its own. For the past few days, though, the link has been randomly...opening up, allowing us to see and hear each other. That’s what I think is going on, at least. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how to stop it, so I was just trying to keep her from seeing you or what we were doing. It’s hard to focus on what’s happening in the real world at the same time. I wasn’t trying to ignore you, it’s just hard to be in two places at once.”

 

Hux hummed, processing all the new information. Kylo didn’t know how much Hux already knew about the Force, but he assumed his education on the matter was minimal at best. “So the bonds just...happen involuntarily? What an inconvenient side effect of your powers.”

 

“Well, not always. Rey’s never been around Force users so her brain might have just latched onto the first person it found who was as strong as her, but a bond can be purposely forged, like the one I had with Snoke. He kept that connection open at all times so he could monitor my thoughts.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

They lapsed into comfortable silence for a while. Kylo had long since closed his eyes and was nearly drifting off when Hux quietly asked, “What’s it like?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Sharing your thoughts with another person, having another person in your head. Does it feel like anything?”

 

“Uh...Well, the bond itself doesn’t feel like much of anything,” Kylo answered, too lazy to open his eyes. “You wouldn’t even notice it unless you went looking. As for having someone in your head...Well, I got used to Master Snoke’s presence, but it took a while. It’s not very pleasant. Having the bond makes it easier, but if someone’s forcing their way into your mind, the pressure can be...intense. The body tries to reject it. Keep in mind, most people don’t aim for constant access to someone else’s thoughts. You interrogate a prisoner, you try to locate your fallen comrade on the battlefield, you have a quick talk with someone who’s on another ship, then you get out of there.”

 

“...Show me?”

 

Kylo’s eyes snapped open, and when he rolled his head to the side to look at Hux, he was met with a startlingly forthright gaze in return. Hux wasn’t mocking him or making a peculiar joke; he was genuinely interested in having his mind violated through the Force.

 

“What in the hell for?!”

 

“For curiosity’s sake? This is somewhat of a once in a lifetime opportunity, to experience it without being forcefully interrogated. It won’t break my mind like our prisoners’, correct?”

 

“No, it’s safe. I wouldn’t dare push you that hard.”

 

“Then I insist you show me,” Hux repeated. “Or can you not do it right now? Do you need more rest? Because that’s perfectly underst—”

 

“I can do it now,” Kylo grumbled, aware that he was being manipulated but not willing to put up with Hux’s smugness any longer. “It might hurt.”

 

“I’m no stranger to pain, believe me.”

 

“Well, just...try not to fight it. It makes it worse. Do what you can to stay relaxed.”

 

Hux closed his eyes and settled back on his pillow, and Kylo took it as his cue to begin. He reached out to Hux’s mind, feeling around the edge of his consciousness for potential weak spots. He applied pressure and...he was in.

 

Well, that was a first.

 

“You alright?” Kylo asked, hearing a muffled grunt from Hux.

 

“Yes.”

 

Trying to make sense of what happened, Kylo probed a little deeper, still feeling no resistance. It was unusual, to say the least.  _ Nobody  _ had ever let him in that easily, let alone someone with no Force sensitivity.

 

Hux’s face was impassive, but just to be sure…

 

_ Are you in any pain? _

 

Hux cocked his head upon hearing Kylo’s voice, as if trying to determine what direction the sound came from. “Not at all. It’s  _ strange _ , but it’s almost pleasant.”

 

_ Hmm. Let me know if anything changes. _

 

Hux nodded, but kept his eyes closed.

 

Keeping a close watch on Hux in case he was too proud to admit his discomfort, Kylo started brushing over his thoughts and recent memories, curious how far he could go before Hux’s body started to fight back. He knew from experience that non-Force sensitive people weren’t very good at identifying what was going on inside their heads; unless he made a point of showing them what he’d managed to pry from their memories to gloat, all they knew was that it hurt more and more to resist as he pushed deeper. Without that to clue him in, could Hux even tell what he was doing?

 

...Apparently not. Surely, Hux would protest if he knew how vulnerable of a position he was in as Kylo looked over the pompous rough drafts for speeches and useless blueprints for Starkiller that he was stubbornly holding onto and sulking over. Instead, all he did was shudder, goosebumps forming all over his body.

 

_ Cold? _

 

The covers were shoved to the bottom of the bed by their feet, and Kylo grabbed them without thinking, draping the black duvet over the two of them. He was a little chilly himself, but Hux was all skin and bones and felt the need to wear that ridiculous greatcoat even when indoors. He was probably cold  _ all  _ the time.

 

“No, it just felt...good, whatever you were doing.”

 

That earned a confused frown from Kylo, but he declined to comment. Hux was a closeted masochist who preferred to dom to save face for all he knew. He actually didn’t know him all that well, despite the nature of their relationship.

 

For instance...he had no idea Hux was actually  _ smart _ . Those Starkiller plans were being mourned because they were  _ his  _ designs, not some nameless engineer’s. And Hux’s military strategies? Far better than his own, loathe as he was to admit it. All this time he’d been assuming Hux had gotten to the position of general through a combination of nepotism and premature promotions as superiors died off, but he was beginning to suspect he actually  _ deserved  _ the title. 

 

Ugh. Good thing Hux couldn’t hear his thoughts, or he’d be even more self-satisfied and insufferable than usual.

 

Politely ignoring the soft, nearly pornographic moan as he did so, Kylo looked closer at Hux’s plans for the next few days. There were a number of them, all of them nonconcrete and in a constant process of being reworked as his subconscious continued to fret over them, but they were disturbingly similar to his own.

 

Through nearly a full cycle of meditating and opening himself up to the Force, Kylo had narrowed down the location of the Resistance base to five potential sectors. Hux had narrowed it down to  _ four.  _

 

Sitting up straighter, Kylo began furiously tearing through the plans, desperate to know how Hux had come to the same conclusion and then managed to surpass him.

 

“How do you know what class hyperdrive the Millenium Falcon has?” 

 

It came out sounding more accusatory than he intended, but Kylo was admittedly a bit upset about being upstaged by basic  _ math _ . Hux had pieced together information on known bases through various sources and informants, then made maximum possible distance and speed calculations based on all the potential upgrades the Millenium Falcon had, cross-referencing the two. In the end, only four sectors could have been reached by the time the Resistance had sent out another signal to their allies.

 

“I estimated based on various reports.”

 

“...That’s a damn good estimation, then. It’s a class 0.5, though, not 0.6.”

 

“And how do  _ you  _ know what class hyperdrive it has?” Hux asked, mimicking Kylo’s mistrustful tone and opening his eyes to squint suspiciously at Kylo.

 

“That’s my father’s ship. I learned to fly in that thing, Hux.”

 

“Hmph, alright.” With a huff, he closed his eyes again, settling back in. 

 

“I’ll admit, I underestimated you, General. Underneath that smarmy, oily exterior, you’re actually quite intelligent.  _ Brilliant _ , actually. The First Order is lucky to have you at its head.”

 

Hux didn’t respond, but the quirk of his lips betrayed him, as did the rush of pure pleasure that flooded his brain, washing away his mild annoyance at the insults.

 

Provoking such an extreme response from Hux was strangely compelling. Sex always left Kylo feeling more touchy-feely than normal, so he let himself ramble, basking in the warm glow from Hux’s consciousness. “Snoke underestimated you, I think. He didn’t think very highly of you, and I know we have our differences, but I’m...grateful for the opportunity to work with you, I guess. I feel we’ve both accomplished more during our co-command of the  _ Finalizer  _ than we would have individually. We make an effective team sometimes.”

 

Turning away from his memories and more intense thoughts, Kylo delved deeper into Hux’s emotions, toward the location of the heady sense of contentment that was rolling off him in waves. He wanted to know what made Hux tick, other than his blatantly obvious praise kink.

 

“Where’s the pain you promised me, Ren?” Hux asked. Kylo could see him writhing around under the covers.

 

“I’m...not sure. Maybe you’re just better adapted to telepathy than most. You’re doing much better than most Force sensitives when they first start training, General.”

 

That spurred a lazy stirring of arousal in Hux. But beyond what was happening on the surface, he was devoid of warm, fuzzy feelings. Mostly, he was just chronically angry, bitter, and...envious. Extremely envious of Kylo’s new position as Supreme Leader and the power and attention that were sure to come along with the title, envious of Kylo’s impeccable physique and strength, envious of Kylo’s Force abilities, of his unique bond with the scavenger, of his plea for her to come rule by his side...Hmm.

 

Hux appeared to think the offer was genuine, despite his denial. And he was upset because he initially thought it was aimed at _ him _ .

 

Oh.

 

How had he not noticed that? He’d been too busy trying to convince Rey that he’d completely missed Hux’s eager noises, that were clearly enthusiastic agreement, in retrospect.

 

Well, how embarrassing. Kylo actually felt ashamed of himself for being so selfish, despite all his years of training under Snoke that basically revolved around self-centeredness. Because he couldn’t multitask or just take a minute to explain the situation, Hux was stuck nursing his wounded pride and seething with jealousy over some vagrant’s pseudo-bond—

 

_ Bond! _

 

A bolt of panic shot through Kylo. He kept the connection with Hux open, but hastily turned his attention toward himself, finding the nexus of where the Force resided inside him. There, next to the petrified, amputated bond with Solo that ached to even acknowledge, was a shiny, new bond, still springy and dazzling in its intensity.

 

“Uh oh.”

 

Hux jolted upright, glaring at Kylo. “Uh oh? That’s not what I’d like to hear while you’re doing gods know what inside my head, Ren.”

 

“Um. Remember what I said about Force bonds earlier?”

 

“Unfortunately, yes,” Hux answered. He seemed to know where this was going.

 

“We, uh...we seem to have formed one.”

 

Kylo flinched protectively, expecting Hux to scream at him or backhand him again or  _ something _ , but when he peeked at the other man, he was still, save for a dangerous-looking twitch in his left eye.

 

“What. Did. You.  _ Do _ .”

 

“ _ I  _ didn’t do anything! The Force has a will of its own! It must have bonded us on its own, either the instant I joined minds with you or sometime in the past. Maybe when I Force choked you?”

 

“If you fucked around in my head while  _ strangling _ me, I will murder you in your sleep, Force sensitivity or not. I  _ will _ . You have no idea what I’m capable of, Supreme Leader.”

 

Receiving death threats from Hux shouldn’t have been so arousing. Ignoring the confusing boner his body wanted to form, Kylo help up his hands placatingly. “It’s not that bad, Hux. You didn’t even know it was there! Other than making joining minds easier, I don’t think it’ll make any difference.”

 

“But  _ how _ did it happen?! This  _ has  _ to be your fault! I’m not even Force-sensitive, you laserbrained mudcrutch!”

 

“True...it’s not  _ unheard  _ of to bond with non-sensitive people, but it _ is  _ rare...I don’t normally even form bonds that easily. My brain just...really likes your brain, I guess. The Force must think we complement each other well.”

 

“Oh, is that what it believes?” Hux asked, mocking him, “That we ‘complement’ each other perfectly? You, the man who damn near wasted an entire army’s worth of ammunition on a  _ ghost _ , complement me, the man who has the lowest average number of casualties and losses out of all First Order generals?  _ Please _ .”

 

“That’s it though, Hux! If we can talk through the bond, communicate strategies and plans instantaneously, we can coordinate our efforts!”

 

“...I’d really rather not,” Hux replied waspishly, looking as though the idea left a bad taste in his mouth.

 

“You don’t understand! I rely on the Force in battle, predicting the enemy’s next move and dodging them, finding their weak spots, pinning them in place...Look, you’re better at traditional battle, I’ll admit that. You’re more comfortable commanding troops. But if you shared my insight—”

 

“Using the Force without  _ relying  _ on the Force...I’d have an advantage over  _ everyone _ ,” Hux whispered, eyes going wide. 

 

“Now you see it,” Kylo said, grabbing at Hux’s hands to emphasize his words. “We’d be  _ unstoppable  _ together. This— this is amazing,  _ you’re  _ amazing, this is how we’re going to win the war—”

 

Hux’s breath hitched, and this time, along with the self-indulgent bliss that accompanied the praise, there was a bizarre, fluttery sensation, totally foreign to Kylo. 

 

Trailing off, Kylo returned to the open link between them, following the strange fluttery feeling to analyze it. It came from somewhere deep inside Hux, deeper than he’d touched before.

 

Locked away and unacknowledged, kept separate from the rage and jealousy and hostility, Hux evidently  _ did  _ have warm, fuzzy feelings.

 

“ _ Oh _ ,” Kylo breathed.

 

He’d never been allowed to experience the kind of thing Hux desired. Snoke had sunk his claws in him long before puberty hit, and from that point on, any kind of meaningful connection with anyone else was banned. Familial ties, friendship, romance, love...all forbidden. He knew it was to keep him isolated and utterly dependent on Snoke, he always had, but despite how lonesome his existence was, he’d never even  _ considered  _ what it would be like to have more. To entertain the thought of having a significant other would be tantamount to treason.

 

Now, nobody could stop him.

 

Inexplicably, he  _ liked  _ Hux. The creep got on his last nerve when they were working sometimes, but when Hux had suggested a “mutually beneficial arrangement for stress relief purposes,” he’d  _ jumped  _ on the opportunity to sleep with him, hadn’t he? And on the nights where Hux allowed himself to be held tight and nuzzled after they were done (to leach Kylo’s excess body heat, he always claimed), he was damn near ecstatic. He’d spend hours kissing Hux if the man would let him. His own pleasure in bed was always an afterthought compared to making Hux happy. And he often found himself thinking of Hux on his missions, spotting things that the man would like and wishing he had an excuse to bring them back to the  _ Finalizer  _ for him.

 

Good gods. Was that what romantic attraction felt like? Had he been blind to his own feelings all this time? Maybe this “relationship” thing wasn’t as scary as it sounded.

 

He knew better than to dive right into something like that, though. He’d probably kark it all up before long; that is, if Hux wasn’t spooked by the sudden emotional intimacy. He seemed reluctant to even admit to himself the way he felt about Kylo, and even if he craved it, a romantic relationship would take some serious getting used to. They’d have to work their way up to that.

 

“Armitage.”

 

Hux’s eyes opened wide at the use of his first name, and as they met Kylo’s, their pupils dilated ever so slightly. “Yes?”

 

“Would you do me the honor of becoming my Supreme Commander? You’d be directly under me, with authority over all First Order military forces. That was the title Emperor Palpatine gave Darth V—”

 

Hux’s plush lips crashed into his own before he could finish his sentence, and as he returned the kiss and crushed their bodies together, Kylo felt more at peace than he could ever remember. There was no inner turmoil revolving around this decision: his destiny was with the man in his arms. He was sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Eventually, Hux graduates to Kylo's rank but takes on the title of "Emperor" instead. They live happily ever after. The end.


End file.
